Linux Mint 13

The New and Simpler Linux Mint 13
There has been an increasing move towards making desktop interfaces more and more complicated in recent years. However, the developers of the new Linux Mint product, Linux Mint 13, have gone the other way and created a simpler version instead. The new version of the open-source operating system will be equipped with a user interface that is known as “Cinnamon”, which will move away from the standard version of the Gnome environment that had been utilised by previous versions of Mint.

The new design is said to be a lot more conservative than previous streamlined ones have been, however this should not come as a surprise to Linux users. This is because the original idea for Linux Mint was to create a desktop OS that is dedicated to users who want something simple and requiring little maintenance. Not everyone wants to have to deal with an extremely modern, complicated interface. Some simply want something that will enable them to search the internet, chat to friends and play Party Poker without having to worry about anything else. Clement Lefebvre, creator and lead developer of Linux Mint has said he hopes that users will recognise the advantages of using Cinnamon, and will move to this interface from others including Gnome 2 and Gnome Shell.

The integral feature of Cinnamon is its simple operation and return to a more traditional design. Users will be able to choose between locations for the slim panel, rather than having one fixed at the top and one at the bottom of the screen. They can also customise their desktop in other ways, which used to be the case with the earlier versions of Gnome. Themes, applets, extensions and desktop effects are all changeable, which should make the user feel much more comfortable with their desktop.